1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for assisting visually impaired persons to generate graphical data in a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art that with appropriate assistant technology, persons who are blind or visually impaired are able to operate computers, access databases, read printed texts, and so on. By way of example, such technology includes speech synthesis, braille printers, braille displays, dot matrix displays, optical character recognition, etc. It is to be noted that throughout the instant disclosure, terms "blind" and "visual or vision impairment" are interchangeably used. It is to be noted that throughout this application, the term "graph" implies a drawing, figure, etc., including a flowchart, an arrangement for desk-top publishing, and so on.
Speech synthesis is to artificially generate spoken words through the application of computer-based hardware and software, making the computers accessible to persons with vision impairments. Braille printers and displays translate printed text into braille, respectively permitting blind users to obtain hardcopy from computers and to have access to computer screens. Dot matrix displays, which are similar to the braille printers, are usually assembled out of a large number of electromagnetically latching braille-dots. The dot is spring-supported in the "set"-position and held down in the reset position, allowing the users to get a picture of the presented data. On the other hand, optical character recognition systems read the printed word and speak it aloud or transmit the text into personal computers for storage and retrieval.
Thus, the visually impaired persons are able to enter text into computers, using the keyboards, with the aid of speech synthesis, and can get hardcopies of text in braille using the braille printers.
However, it is very advantageous if the persons with vision impairments are allowed to enter graphical data such as flow charts, layouts for desktop publishing, etc. into computers. However, until now no proposal has been made for assisting the blind persons to obtain graphical data in computers.